Chrome Connection
Google also rolled out Android Auto, a bid to get more of its software into cars. The effort follows the January rollout of the Open Automotive Alliance, a partnership with carmakers focused on Android. Android Auto will bring digital tools and media into vehicles, with capabilities for tailored maps. Developers will be able to use a software development kit to create apps for cars, the company said. Some cars will begin including Android Auto by the end of the year.
Android will also work more easily with Chrome OS, another Google operating system used in inexpensive laptop-like devices called Chromebooks. Google unveiled new tools to tie the two together, including deeper integration with Android apps from smartphones so that it’s simpler to access a program such as note-taking service Evernote on a Chromebook.
To foster the growth of Android in emerging markets, which are some of the biggest growth areas for mobile devices, Google also rolled out an initiative called Android One to develop low-cost smartphones, beginning with three manufacturers in India. Pichai referenced an Android One device that costs less than $100 as an example.